title: Independent factors associated with altered plasma active ghrelin levels in HCV-infected patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Metabolic disorders are frequently seen in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-infected patients. Ghrelin, a gut hormone, regulates hepatic metabolisms, and must be activated to exert its biological effects. The aims of this study were to investigate changes in plasma active ghrelin levels and identify independent factors associated with plasma active ghrelin levels in HCV-infected patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled patients with HCV infection (n = 96), hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection (n = 49), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD; n = 20) and healthy subjects (CON; n = 16). Plasma active ghrelin levels were measured using ELISA. Factors associated with plasma active ghrelin levels were assessed by multivariate and Spearman's correlation analyses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma active ghrelin levels were significantly lower in relation to the severity of liver disease in both the HBV and HCV groups. Furthermore, HCV infection was identified as an independent factor associated with decreased plasma active ghrelin levels in the multivariate analysis (OR -3.05; 95% CI -0.93 to -19.51; P = 0.0192). Plasma active ghrelin levels were significantly correlated with serum albumin levels in the HCV group (ρ = 0.497, P < 0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated that liver cirrhosis and HCV infection were independent factors associated plasma active ghrelin levels. Moreover, plasma active ghrelin levels were positively correlated with serum albumin levels among HCV-infected patients. Therefore, active ghrelin levels may be regulated by both progression of liver disease and HCV infection and could be involved in the regulation of serum albumin levels in HCV-infected patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Digestive Disease Information & Research, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan; Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Kurume University School of Medicine, Kurume, Japan.
authors.forename: Takumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawaguchi
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sata
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000097:blood*; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000097:blood*; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000097:blood*; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D012709:Serum Albumin
keywords: albumin; ghrelin; gut hormone; hepatitis C virus; liver cirrhosis